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Tales of Magid: The Kyoto Ordeal
From Comixpedia
| Tales of Magid: The Kyoto Ordeal | |
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| Creator(s) | William Laliberte |
| Website(s) | http://www.theotheruniverse.info |
| Update Schedule | Tuesday and Friday |
| Launch Date | 2005 |
| Genre | action/adventure, fantasy, drama |
| Rating(s) | Web-14 |
Tales of Magid: The Kyoto Ordeal is the first part of the Tales of Magid epic, detailing the journey of the Angry Alter Ego, a deity from a parallel world, to balance himself spiritually and find his place in the world. The webcomic relies heavily on the Freudian idea of the three parts of the human mind, the ego, superego, and id, and how the interact with each other. In Tales of Magid, these three are not components of the mind, but three physical embodiments of a deity's subconscious and conscious self.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow
Contents |
[edit] Back Story
In the Other Universe, a universe that nearly overlaps our own, the Creator has ruled the heavens since the beginning of time. Sometime in his early life, he decided he would be a more effective deity by removing his negative traits. In doing so, he created the Angry Alter Ego, a demi-god identical in appearance to him. To ensure that this new deity would not unleash havoc upon his world, the Creator also gave him a seed of morality that would grow over time.
Concurrently, the world of Magid was in the clutches of a cruel dictator. The dictator seized control after killing the Ten Kings of Magid, despite their ability to control the elements. He remained in power until 2 years prior to the beginning of The Kyoto Ordeal. A team of mercenaries, lead by Bounty Hunter Silberman, overthrew the dictator and liberated Magid. However, now the world was without a leader. The Creator, seeing that Magid needed its king restored, called for the Angry Alter Ego.
The Angry Alter Ego, who since his departure from the Creator's heavenly palace, had travelled the Other Universe fighting in countless wars. He was given the name the God of War, because of his immortality and godly ability to fight with nearly any weapon or form of hand to hand combat. By the liberation of Magid, he was using the alias Adam Evans and had taken the position of Captain Commander of a swordsman corps, the Shinsengumi. After careful consideration, the Angry Alter Ego accepted the position and became the King of Magid.
However, since the millenia since his creation, the seed of morality had begun to spread far into the Angry Alter Ego's being. After ruling harshly for two years, he decided that he would follow the Creator's example and remove the anger and negative emotions within him. To help him, the Creator lent his aide, Danielle Gatti, to counsel him through the preparation it would take to perform the ritual.
[edit] Plot
With Danielle's help, the Angry Alter Ego successfully removes his excess anger, sealing it within a glass orb. But unbeknownst to everyone, a dark figure appears within the Palace of Magid and released the deity, now a concentration of anger and negative, hateful feelings. When the Angry Alter Ego returns to his bedroom later that night, he is confronted by his dark half. He censures the Angry Alter Ego for throwing him away, calling him a hypocrite and saying that he is nothing without him. The dark half of the Angry Alter Ego departs the palace after explaining his plans: in exchange for his freedom, he has sworn allegiance to the shadowy being that freed him and plans to travel to Earth. From there, he will seize control of Japan as a part of his master's goal of domination of Earth. The Angry Alter Ego forbids this, but his other half says that he can no longer decide for him, and leaves after insulting his strength.
Deciding he must deal with the problem he created, the Angry Alter Ego tests his strength against the Creator in a sword fight to determine if he would still be strong enough without rage to fuel his fighting skills. He defeats the Creator and leaves without saying a word, following his other half to Earth. Deciding that something is amiss, the Creator calls for the Bounty Hunter Silberman and New Baggins, a super-human bound by the Creator's will, to go with himself and Danielle to Earth, find the Angry Alter Ego, and bring him home safely. But the Angry Alter Ego has not abandoned his lone wolf style of life, and moves alone through the strange city of Kyoto to find his other half and prevent an interdimensional incident.
[edit] Main Characters
The Angry Alter Ego: Born from the Creator's anger and negative emotions, the Angry Alter Ego grew to develop a conscience and in turn separated his own anger. This proved to be a terrible mistake, as his anger escaped and took form, threatening our world. Bound by a strict sense of honor and duty as the former captain commander of the Shinsengumi, he dedicates himself to tracking down and destroying his other half before he can fill out his dark plans. He is a stern, serious leader, fearless in battle. He is also self-centered and introspective, fighting his battles alone and not even telling his allies about the situation looming. If he is to survive the oncoming battle, however, he will need to learn to abandon his lone wolf personality and accept his friend's help in saving the world.
Representing the ego, the Angry Alter Ego seeks to find a balance between his primal urges (the Id, his dark side) and morals (the Superego, the Creator). He greatly distrusts his dark side, but at the same time feels complled to rely on some of the ideals presented by him, such as using anger as a source of strength in battle. When the superego confronts the ego with feelings of inferiority and guilt as a result of this, he turns to defense mechanisms such as denial to hide the fact that he is slowly giving in to his animalistic side.
Danielle "Dee" Gatti: Danielle, or Dee as she is called by most of the characters, is the Creator's personal aid. She served him a year before being asked to help the Angry Alter Ego through his transition. While she initially disliked him because of his attitude towards her, she began to grow fond of him and was especially devastated after his disappearance. She demanded to follow the Creator and the rescue party to Kyoto to bring him back, putting aside her own safety to help The Angry Alter Ego in any way possible. A very cheerful person, Dee always looks for the best part of any situation. She is very kind and forgiving, but somewhat clumsy.
Dee is actually a mage, descended from a group dwelling in small clusters in northern mountain ranges. She specializes in light based attacks, but can also slightly control fire and water and manipulate small objects. She left her village and wandered the world until meeting the Creator and becoming his aid. She didn't hide her identity as a mage, but her powers were not needed until the Kyoto Ordeal. Dee has yet to master her powers, for reasons she holds secret.
The Creator: The Creator is responsible for the formation of the Other Universe approximately 6200 years prior to the start of the story. His true form cannot be seen by mortals, so he takes the form of a young man when appearing before humans. It was from this form that the Angry Alter Ego's appearance came from. The Creator lives in a higher plane known as Aeris with other lesser immortals, known as Legends, but from time to time visits other worlds within the Other Universe. He chose Danielle Gatti as his aide because of her benevolent nature and willingness to help others, which would also be the reason he requested she help the Angry Alter Ego. After the Angry Alter Ego's disappearance, the Creator formed a group of talented humans to help him bring the Angry Alter Ego home to Magid.
The Creator represents the superego, acting as a father figure to the ego and acts as a conscience, instilling morals in his other side. The Angry Alter Ego struggles with this, as he is forced to balance the Creator's moral's and his own dark side's thoughts. The Creator as an individual outwardly does not appear to have an ego or id within his own mind, having rid himself or his primal thoughts and not requiring a force to keep balance. Theoretically, as the Creator declares, his heart contains no evil, only the ability to do good and spread benevolent morals. This theory is questioned by The Baggins, who refuses to accept that the Creator, who allows evil to occur, can not contain evil himself.
The Chaotic Alter Ego: The manifestation of the Creator and the Angry Alter Ego's anger, hatred, and negative human emotions embodied in human form. Originally he sought to keep the name the Angry Alter Ego, as it was more accurate for him to keep it now, but he chose the Chaotic Alter Ego based on something the Angry Alter Ego told him. (It was an insult, but the Chaotic Alter Ego took it as a compliment.) He was sealed away by the Angry Alter Ego, but freed by Benedict for the purpose of helping him to dominate Earth, being given the name "Mr. Black" by him. The Chaotic Alter Ego despises his other half, denouncing him as a hypocrite. He declared without anger, the Angry Alter Ego would never stand up in a fight with him again, calling him "just a fledgling". Now hiding within Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Japan with a team of assassins, the Chaotic Alter Ego must decide if it is more important to complete his mission or obliterate the sources of his frustration.
The Chaotic Alter Ego undoubtably represents the id. He has no concern for the welfare of others, seeking only things that will please himself. Even while he has been sent to Japan by Benedict, he has not even attempted to follow through with his plan, instead focusing his efforts and materials on trying to destroy the Angry Alter Ego and the Creator. He also has a strong dislike for Dee, almost as great as that for the Angry Alter Ego, because of her role in his imprisonment. However, as he contains the most base form of human instinct, he secretely lusts for her. Above all, he wishes to have absolute control over himself and his surroundings, regardless of what it takes to accomplish this, beginning with the death of the Angry Alter Ego.
Bounty Hunter Silberman: Silberman is the bounty hunter made famous for his role in liberating the world of Magid. He was born the prince of a small country, and from a young age was instilled with morals and the root of all crimes, theft. At the age of ten, his father the King and his sister were killed by an assassin, with Silberman witnessing his sister's bloody end. Filled with rage, he disarmed the assassin and murdered him. The act filled him with guilt, however, and he left the kingdom, dedicating himself to fighting injustice and killing for the sake of those who could not protect themselves.
Years later, following his part in asassinating the dictator of Magid, the Creator asked for his aide in bringing the Angry Alter Ego back to the throne, which he accepted. He was promised a healthy bounty, but his true motives for coming on the expedition are unknown. Bounty Hunter Silberman is quite laid back, almost lethargic at times. However, when the time for action arises, he is quick to jump into the action.
Ayumi Hiwatari (あゆみ 日渡): Introduced at the story's midpoint, Ayumi is a teen girl living in Kyoto who offers her home to the Creator's party. She knows the Creator because she and her brother exchanged emails with him when she was younger, not then knowing whom she was actually speaking to. Ayumi was surprised to learn the truth about the Creator and his allies, but quickly accepted it and continued to offer her home as their base for the duration of the story. Ayumi is cheerful and often a source of comic relief, trying to bring up the declining spirits of the party.
For the duration of the story, Ayumi's family is absent. She explains that her father is away on business, while her brother is studying climate changes in South Asia. Her mother passed away when she was young, leaving a hole in her life that she had not been able to fill. Ayumi does not bring up her mother to the party, only to Cody as the two discussed their problems. It was their similarities that led Ayumi to develop feelings for Cody over the course of the final chapters.
New Baggins: New Baggins was created in a laboratory over 1,200 years before the story begins. He was designed to be a super soldier prototype, not only possessing above normal strength and intelligence, but even having the ability to manipulate matter with his mind, giving him godlike abilities. However, he violently escaped his birthplace after being consumed by his darker half, The Baggins. He did not have control of his body until The Baggins was defeated by Cody Moon ten years later, but did not maintain his freedom. After the War ended, the Creator sealed New Baggins' power as a precaution, and sent New Baggins into exile in Magid. However, the elemental properties of Magid affected the Creator's seal and added an unintented side effect to the seal. New Baggins maintained his consciousness during the day, but after the sun set, The Baggins would take control until dawn. New Baggins existed like this up until the beginning of the Kyoto Ordeal when he was asked by the Creator to bring the Angry Alter Ego back to Magid. New Baggins agreed, still being loyal to the Creator despite their past circumstances, but kept his nightly transformations hidden from the group until his secret was revealed by the Angry Alter Ego.
New Baggins and his other half can be seen symbollically as the two polar ends of religion. New Baggins, dressed in priestly garments, represents absolute devoutness, remaining loyal to the Creator despite being forced into exile by him for over a millenia. He wishes benevolence and charity upon the world and looks out for the other characters' well being, but his extreme loyalty to the Creator leads him to ignore reason, such as the case of his eternal imprisonment.
The Baggins: The dark side of New Baggins, The Baggins developed as a result of the suffering New Baggins endured during his experimentation early in life. The Baggins took full control of his body, escaped imprisonment, and within ten years disguised his true identity and became a high ranking political official. He used his title to gather supporters and build an army, with which he used to begin the War of The Baggins 1,200 years prior to the story begins. He used his superhuman abilities and mental powers to convince the world that he was a god who would overthrow the Creator, who was merciless and unkind to his people. The war ended with The Baggins' defeat at the hands of Cody Moon, after which his light side regained control of his body. The Baggins was sealed with New Baggins and exiled to Magid, taking back control only when the sun set. He agreed to come to Kyoto not because his light side was loyal to the Creator, but so that he could get close to the Creator and exact his revenge. Whether this is his true goal or not has not yet been revealed.
Whereas New Baggins stands as the devout side of religion, The Baggins represents the complete disbelief in a higher power. He not only despises the Creator but challenges his divinity, saying that if he were truly the god he called himself, the Creator would have killed The Baggins instead of sending him to exile. He mocks the Creator's allies, especially Dee, whose loyalty to the Creator is second only to New Baggins. The Baggins wishes to open the eyes of the party and show them the Creator is a fraud in spite of his repeated divine actions in the past. He will not rest, however, until the Creator is abolished from the heavens.
The Baggins can also be seen as a foil for the Chaotic Alter Ego. He opposes the Creator and Cody Moon in the hopes of creating his ideal world, by force if necessary.
Cody Moon: The legendary savior who defeated The Baggins, none other than an ordinary young man who fell into a series of unordinary incidents. After returning to Earth following the war, Cody was left with bitter feelings of the Other Universe, lessened only by the happiness he found in his new girlfriend, Moon Fox. He became more reclusive upon returning home, often having nightmares about his experiences. It was much to his frustration then when he found the Creator on his doorstep over a year later once again asking for his help. Unwilling at first to go to Kyoto, worried for Moon Fox's safety and his own sanity, he finally decided to go in order to settle his battle with The Baggins once and for all.
Cody is solemn and respectful towards the others, sometimes helping Ayumi by telling jokes to raise spirits. He spends much of his time in Kyoto preparing for the impending battle with The Baggins through meditation. He believes that it is impossible for one to defeat an opponent until he understands himself completely. Much of Cody's philosophic and combat theory draws from the ideals of bushido and the teachings of Sun Tsu and Miyamoto Musashi. Cody's desire to understand himself is frequently a difficult task for him to accomplish, due to the feelings remaining from the war that have congealed and grown ever prevalent in the back of his mind, leaving Cody to feel at a loss of control and even his own sanity.
Cody is the character foil for the Angry Alter Ego. Like the Angry Alter Ego, Cody has had to face hardships in war and now must prepare for battle against his greatest foe. Also, just as the Angry Alter Ego suffered with a dark side, it is becoming more and more noticeable that Cody reflects similar symptoms.
[edit] Secondary Characters
- Benedict: A mysterious and shadowy individual with seemingly supernatural powers. He is responsible for freeing the Chaotic Alter Ego and recruiting him for the purpose of conquering Japan. Benedict controls an organization whose goal is world domination, completely ruthless and not afraid to sacrifice its agents to further Benedict's goal. Further information regarding his identity and whereabouts are unknown.
- Samurai M: Outwardly appearing to be a hermit living in the mountains of Kyoto, Samurai M, as he introduces himself, once fought on the side of Magid's kings. He fled to Earth after the revolution and lived in the mountains ever since, still carrying the Sword of Magid and a small fraction of elemental powers within him. He encountered the Angry Alter Ego in Kyoto and trained him to master the power of Magid within him, afterwards leaving him the Sword of Magid.
- Friedrich Gein: The Chaotic Alter Ego's right hand man during his mission and a member of the Black Dragon team. Friedrich is a master of disguise and uses his gift to closely spy on the Creator's group from their arrival in Tokyo up until the final battle. He is stern and gives strict orders to the lower ranking members, even threatening those who do not comply with death.
- Sgt. Jeffery Rogers: A member of the Black Dragon team, Rogers is a discharged US Army sergeant who turned to Benedict's organization for high pay and less restrictive combat techniques. He was the first of the Black Dragon team to be killed, assassinated by Gien after being defeated by New Baggins in Tokyo.
- Osami Hyogo: A member of the Black Dragon team, Hyogo was once an up and coming sumo wrestler. However, a tragic accident crippled his right arm he was forced into retirement. Left with no options, he was approached by Mr. White who offered to create for him a better arm if he accepted service into Benedict's organization. Hyogo agreed, and was fitted with an arm made of living metal, a special metal from the Other Universe that would change shape depending on it's enviroment, or as adjusted to Hyogo, based on his thoughts. Hyogo used his arm as several weapons when he attached the Creator's group of the Bullet Train to Kyoto, but was ultimately stopped by Dee and New Baggins' cooperation and then fatally shot by Bounty Hunter Silberman.
- Souji Okita: The youngest member of the Black Dragon team, Okita was taken into the organization by Mr. White after his parents were killed in a car accident. There, he was trained in swordsmanship and was used as an assassin, having killed 247 people prior to the Kyoto Ordeal. Okita seems to care little about his targets and kills them without hesitation, but sometimes toys with them first. He attacked the Creator at the Kyoto Station but was interrupted by the Angry Alter Ego and New Baggins, who defeated him and left him for the police.
- Viktor Serbanescu: The most mysterious of the Black Dragon team, Serbanescu completely hides his appearance behind a dark cloak and hood. Like Okita, Serbanescu was trained as an assassin, however using throwing weapons and chained sickles instead of a sword. He was ordered by the Chaotic Alter Ego to kill The Baggins, but this was just to test to see The Baggins' abilities first hand. Shortly after engaging battle, Serbanescu was decapitated by The Baggins.
- Thomas Heishin: The final member of the Black Dragon team, little is known about Heishin. He has not been sent on specific missions by the Chaotic Alter Ego, rather being saved for the final battle. What combat abilities he has are unknown; the only object he has been seen with is a strange golden disk.
- Mr. White: A high level member of Benedict's organization, he has been following the Creator's group ever since they arrived in Kyoto. His reasons for being in Kyoto are unknown, other than to give the Chaotic Alter Ego instructions and remind him of his mission. As the final battle draws near, Mr. White has begun to take daring moves such as fraternizing with Dee, unbeknownst to her his true identity. The reason he shows such an interest in following the Creator's group, especially the Angry Alter Ego, is still not known.
- Spartacus: Following Mr. White is Spartacus, a mechanical creation of Benedict's organization. Concealed in a black robe, it moves about the populace with its master following orders and recording information. Beneath the cloak lies a terrible killing machine, waiting for its master's orders to strike.
- Moon Fox: Originally from the Other Universe, Moon Fox came back to Earth with Cody following the War of the Baggins. The two currently live together in Seattle, Washington, where they have plans to be wed in the near future.
[edit] The Elements of Magid
The world of Magid was formed on the basis of ten elements: fire, water, nature, wind, rock, lightning, ice, metal, light, and darkness. At its formation, Magid was ruled by ten kings, each with the power to manipulate each one of the elements. When the kings were overthrown by the dictator, the ability to control the elements were sealed into ten relics and hidden away. After the Angry Alter Ego assumed the throne of Magid, he was unknowingly instilled with the power to manipulate all ten elements of Magid. Many were against this, thinking it would be unwise to give so much power to one individual, so the Angry Alter Ego was never told of his new powers. However, he never had complete control of all ten, as Samurai M retained 0.01% of each element's ability following the revolution. Magid's powers were divided when he removed his anger. He retained the more gentle, natural elements (water, wind, nature, rock, and light) while the Chaotic Alter Ego received the more destructive elements (fire, lightning, ice, metal, and darkness).
[edit] The Shinsengumi
In Tales of Magid: The Kyoto Ordeal, the Angry Alter Ego is the former captain commander of a group of sword wielding police known as the Shinsengumi. This group is not connected to the actual Shinsengumi, but the group in the story was based on the actual Japanese police force. Throughout the series, the Angry Alter Ego wears the blue jacket worn by Shinsengumi officers. This jacket was worn by the fictional Shinsengumi group and the real one. The Shinsengumi group was added as an homage to the Japanese samurai force, but the story takes place in December of 2004, long after the real Shinsengumi disbanded. Japanese characters are aware that the jackets are the same, as pointed out by Ayumi, but the Angry Alter Ego remains unaware of this.
[edit] External Links
[edit] Credit
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